Hallo, ich bin Krishaun. I am going to be a foreign exchange student in Germany. For the first semester of my senior year, I am going to be navigating a foreign country and attempting to get past language barriers while living with a host family. Can the typical high school senior say that? I don't think so. As a result, I can easily say that I probably am about to experience the most interesting time of my life thus far.

A common question that I am asked whenever I tell someone where I am going is "do you speak German?" The answer to that is no. Well, that is if you do not count the German classes that I stopped going to when I was a youth after my parents tried to get me to learn it. (I only remember Gutentag!) If you do not count that, then no, I am brand spankin' new to the language. I have more of a Spanish history. (Hola! Yo soy Krishaun y tengo diecisiete anos. Voy a Alemania durante la escuela ano.) My response usually elicits a look of confusion and a bewildered statement. I mean, who would go to a foreign country for a semester (roughly 6 months) without being able to speak the language?

Thankfully, I am going via YFU, which stands for Youth for Understanding. It is a study abroad company that offers programs for high school students, uni students, gap year students, adults who want to volunteer, and more.  They know the level of language required to succeed in their programs. It just so happens that there is no previous language level of German required to attend this program. (Woah!) But they aren't planning to send all of us out there with no way to communicate. First, they sent us a language proficiency test to complete, and upon our arrival in Germany, we will have a 3-week crash course of the German language. Aside from that, we will be completely immersed in the culture, which will make picking up the language much easier and quicker (albeit a little intimidating).

After the language barrier portion of the conversation is out of the way, people start realizing how exciting and unique this program is, especially since where I come from (Detroit, Michigan) a lot of people do not make use of these types of programs. This is my favorite part of the conversation. Helping people realize that it is okay to get out of your comfort zone is a good feeling. It not only prepares you for future events (try and throw something my way; I'll adapt), but it also gives you  a cultural advantage (you will be more open-minded and knowledgeable considering you've been immersed in a culture not your own). Keep in mind that these reasons apply for colleges, jobs, and other opportunities. I'll speak more specifically about this in a later post. Just know that there are plenty of benefits (aside from seeing the world) that comes with studying, volunteering, and working abroad.

I think I went off on a brief tangent. In spite of that, I am going to keep this post because I really like mindbarfs (a term that I use when I write whatever comes to my mind); they help me clear my head and organize what I visually can see. Anyways, I hope you stick along with me during this exciting time in my life!